Energy Storage

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is essential for decarbonizing the grid but gigawatt-hour scale systems continue to be tricky for companies with big ideas. Here are some of the latest innovations across a flourishing array of new – and old – ideas.

Britain’s T-1 Capacity Auction for delivery in the 2023-24 period saw battery energy storage technology emerge as the third-biggest winner in terms of secured contracts, following gas and nuclear. Batteries accounted for more than a half of the new build capacity.

Australian scientists have developed a new way to make hydrogen directly from seawater. They have described the technology as a critical step to a truly viable green hydrogen industry.

RoyPow introduced a new residential lithium-ferro-phosphate battery this week at Intersolar North America in Long Beach, California.

There is currently no widely accepted test methodology to assess the safety of second-life lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). However, a UK government study reveals two opposing views on their safety, raising concerns over whether such devices should be deployed in homes under any circumstances.

Japan’s Panasonic says its new GB-L1CMH1A meter can operate without changing the state of the fuel cell. It says it can also measure a wide range of hydrogen flow rates and concentrations.

Last year was another landmark 12 months for energy storage, with all indicators pointing to a massive surge in demand. Supply chain instability and inflation saw battery prices rise but the industry demonstrated an ability to swiftly react to geopolitical developments. We look at five trends driving the market.

pv magazine speaks to Jan Rosenow, principal and director of European programs for the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), about Europe’s top heat pump markets. He says Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Germany and Finland posted the strongest growth in 2022.

Scotland’s Gravitricity is developing gravity-based storage facilities in former mine shafts to stabilize electricity networks at 50 Hz, by responding to full power demand in less than a second. CEO Charlie Blair speaks to pv magazine about the potential and limitations of the tech, and how it compares to lithium-ion battery storage.

The new EU Batteries Regulation is a blueprint for product legislation, regulating the whole life cycle of batteries in the European Union. Advanced rechargeable and lithium batteries association Recharge says successful implementation of the new regulation requires the prioritization of safety, information reliability, feasibility, market surveillance, and enforcement.